Take Flight
by Scarlett Wilde
Summary: 2006 - Abandoned. The story starts where the original film ended, with Dom Turetto driving off into the desert, ready to begin a new chapter in his life...
1. Chapter 1

Title: Take Flight (working title – will change when a better one comes to me, or is suggested to me))

**Title: **Take Flight (working title – will change when a better one comes to me, or is suggested to me))  
**Rating: **R (smut content, language, etc)  
**Fandom: **The Fast and The Furious  
**Disclaimer: **I own nothing of the TF&TF franchise, and I make no money from this ficlet.  
**Summary: **It's been a long year since Dom fled LA, but now it's time to start living again. He's met someone who he feels for, but she has something in her past that could hinder them getting together.  
**Pairing: **Dominic Turetto/OFC (Sofia Vallejo)  
**Archive: **please ask first  
**Feedback: **Yes please. Nits and shreds by PM only, thanks.  
**Written:** 2006

**Author's Notes: **This is a very old story I wrote a few years ago that I finally decided to type up while my muse takes an extended break. It hasn't been beta'd, either. It's not a great work of art or anything, just a love story. Updates may be iffy as I'm trying to get myself back into a writing frame of mind, but the story is complete and just needs typing up.

**Prologue:-**

**Los Angeles:-**

Brian O'Connor rushed over to the crumples 1969 Dodge Charger, all he could imagine was that Dom had been badly injured. "Dom…Dom…"

Dominic Turetto was dazed, bruised and bloody as he sat in the wrecked car. He struggled out of the window as Brian reached him, "That's not what I had in mind." As Brian helped him out of the car, the sounds of Police sirens filled the air around them. They faced each other off, a chasm of betrayal stretched out between them.

Brian took the keys to his Supra from his pocket and handed them to Dom, knowing what he was about to do was completely against his code…or was it? He didn't know what that was nowadays.

Dom hesitated, "You know what you're doing?"

"I owe you a ten second car," Brian conceded.

Dom nodded, knowing what this would mean for Brian – a cop who let his mark go free, even aiding his escape. As the sirens got closer, Dom revved up the Supra and roared out of LA leaving Brian to face the music alone. He had no choice.

**Baja, Mexico:-**

A red Toyota Supra Turbo charged through the desert, kicking up a trail of dust in its wake. "I live my life a quarter of a mile at a time…nothing else matters…for those ten seconds or less…I'm free…"

**Chapter 1:-**

**One Year Later:-**

Dom had been in Mexico for a year now. Life was finally moving on. He had no intention of ever going back home to LA. Things would more than likely go back to being exactly the way they were before. Sometimes, though you gotta be the man, take charge, accept responsibility.

Brian had been keeping him informed on what the rest of the team was getting up to. Dom had seriously tried to hate Brian, especially after the ultimate betrayal and everything. But he was man enough to understand how much Brian had given up to help his team – help him. How much Brian had given up to be with Mia. It was Brian who had tracked him down to Mexico, contacted him, and kept him up to date.

Jesse was dead. Died before the ambulance could even get to him. Shot six times in the abdomen. No chance.

Vince survived, but his arm didn't. It had taken him a long time to recover physically, even longer emotionally. He was still very bitter and angry.

Letty suffered internal injuries and lost her spleen, but was happily – if somewhat guiltily – recovering in Leon's arms.

Dom had been relieved. Long term, it would never have worked out between him and Letty. But Leon, yeah. He could see that working – they were perfect for each other.

Mia? Mia had quickly returned to her studies as soon as she could, still working on hard and on her way to becoming a doctor. The frustration at being unable to help Jesse had driven her forward and back into her studies.

Dom had asked Brian if he planned on sticking around, if he still loved Mia. He needed to know that someone would be there for her even if he couldn't be any more. Brian's answer had been 'always'. Dom then asked him if he remembered what he had promised Brian over a year ago.

"'Break her heart and I break your neck…' Yeah, I remember."

"It still holds true…"

"Not gonna happen, Dom. Not gonna happen…"

They finished the conversation with Dom asking Brian to never tell the others where he was, or that they had spoken. Brian tried to argue with him, telling him at least to talk to Mia as she was worried sick about her big brother, but Dom was adamant in his decision.

Because where he was, was where he intended to stay. This was his life now. Right here in Baja, Mexico. He'd brought a garage on the beachfront and lived in the small apartment above it, owned a beat-up old truck, keeping himself to himself.

Dom kept himself busy and told himself his racing days were well and truly over, that he was no longer King of the Roads.

Evenings these days were spent either sat on the beach thinking or in the bar, drinking alone. He didn't need friends. He didn't want to fuck up any more lives, or 'strut his stuff' to an audience like he used to. He was a different man nowadays.

Here, he was just plain old Dom Turetto. Nothing more, nothing less. Living the simple life he'd always dreamed of.

Dom sat on the beach watching the sun set over the inky waves. His mind was the ever present maelstrom of emotions – sometimes trying to get over the past is easier said than done.

Everything was slowly falling into place for him here – but he still lacked one thing. The image so carefully cultivated back in LA of a self-absorbed ladies man had eventually broken down in Mexico. He found his heart longed to be filled, filled with love and other emotions he had kept locked out for a long time.

The local girls had given up flirting with him. He was just a brooding but friendly car mechanic to them – the guy who had a mysterious past and wanted to keep it hidden. The spring-breakers and holiday-makers found him fair game and enjoyed flirting with him, even if they didn't get anywhere with him. Then there were the female customers at the garage…if he had a dollar for every one who threw themselves at him, he'd be a rich man.

But the thrill of the chase wasn't there any more. He didn't want a series of one-night stands, or affairs with the rich, married, and every bored women of the town. He wanted the real thing.

The only women who'd come close to catching his eye here was Sofia Vallejo. She did the books for the garage, and many of the other small local businesses. But she was way out of his league. He knew she was too good for him. Sofia was smart, funny, clever, pretty and very sexy.

The one day a week she spent at the garage was his favorite day of the week. Dom realized that she probably saw him as some meathead out-of-towner, so he kept kinda quiet around her, keeping to general small talk as much as possible.

Dom knew that Sofia's parents had died a long time ago in a car accident. Ironically, they were killed by a street racer. When he had learned that nugget of information, he had vowed then and there to never reveal his past to anyone. Since their deaths, Sofia had lived with her Aunt, moving away only long enough to go to college.

He also knew that Sofia had a daughter, a lively three year old named Amber, but he didn't know if she was married, widowed or what. He didn't want to pry for fear of giving his interest in her away. Plus rumor had it that Sofia was engaged to some wealthy businessman who lived out of town.

Dom sighed deeply and went back to thinking about Sofia. She must be a few years older than he was. She was short and slim. She had dark skin, big brown eyes and a mass of darkly wild curls that hung down her back.

God, the fantasies he'd had about her hair. As black as midnight and always coiled up in a bun with just a few wisps that always managed to work free. He longed to unpin it and let it cascade down her back like he'd seen it once.

Dom shivered at the thought of all that hair draped across his chest as she rode him to the heights of ecstasy…he shook himself out of the fantasy. _'Never gonna happen,'_ he told himself, using Brian's words. He needed another cold shower now, but he'd had so many cold ones lately he was beginning to wonder if he'd ever remember what a hot one felt like.

Smirking at himself, he kicked at the sand with his bare foot. The dark waves were slowly inching towards him where he sat, and the air still had the smell of warmth lingering in it. The very last sliver of sun peeked over the horizon, giving the sky one last blaze of fire before it set for the night, echoing his melancholy thoughts.

_'Shower, beer and bed,'_ he thought, as he reluctantly pushed himself up off the sand and made his way back to his small apartment above the garage. _'Home sweet home…year, right.'_

Tomorrow was Sofia's day at the garage and even though he was sure she didn't think of him as more than a friend, he still wanted to look good for her – well, as good as you can look in oil-stained overalls and grease. It didn't hurt to try, though.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:-

**Chapter 2:-**

_The cars both came to a screeching halt. One upside down and smoking, the other sideways on and front-ended into a barricade. ___

_The street was silent. No screams. No crying. Nothing. ___

_Then, all of a sudden, the screech of tires and the sound of engines revving filled the silence. It felt as though hell itself was about to erupt from beneath them. ___

_The car that had landed upside down burst into flames before the occupants could be reached. Their screams were an awful echo in the night. ___

_The single occupant of the other car had escaped and was now limping away – straight into the strong arm of the law. ___

_Next day, all the headlines read: 'Street Racer charged with causing the deaths of a young married couple. Daughter escaped unhurt when she was thrown from her parents car.'_

Sofia jumped awake from her nightmare – the same nightmare she'd been having since she'd been nine years old. Her body was stiff from napping on the couch, and she creaked as she stretched and yawned.

It was still light outside and she could hear childish laughter drifting in from outside. She eased off the couch and headed out to the back porch. Sofia sat on the cool stone steps that led out onto her aunt's back yard where her daughter was playing in the last of the warm evening sun.

A thought struck her as she sat down – she hadn't realized you could feel happy and sad at the same time – she wanted to cry for the past, but when she looked at her daughter, her heart sang with joy. She'd been so sad for so long that letting joy and happiness back into her life still felt alien.

Watching Amber play in the fading sun filled Sofia with immeasurable happiness. There was something so unconditional about the love of a child for their parent.

"Momma, why's you sad gen?" her three year voice shouted when she saw her mother, breaking into Sofia's thoughts.

Sofia jumped up and skipped towards the slide, grabbing Amber and lifting her high into the air, spinning her around. "How can anybody be sad with you around, my carina?" She spun Amber round twice more before popping her back on top of the slide.

Her aunt smiled at her from the other side of the slide. "I'll go and get dinner ready now you're up. Did you have a good nap?"

"It was ok. Thanks," Sofia smiled. "What's for dinner?"

"I thought enchiladas might be in order. Nothing like comfort food…and to follow, Amber and I made as fresh strawberry tart," her aunt told her.

Sofia's aunt was the best cook in Mexico – if not the whole world. Her aunt's enchiladas were legendary.

"I pulled de berries hats off," Amber said proudly.

"I'm sure it will be the best strawberry tart ever," Sofia smiled, ruffling her daughters curls.

After dinner, Sofa bathed Amber and tucked her up in bed before reading her a fairy story about a princess who gets lost in the deep dark forest. The handsome prince comes along and rescued her, and they fell in love and lived happily ever after.

'If only real life were that easy,' she thought, as she kissed the sleeping toddler gently on the forehead.

Creeping downstairs, Sofia saw her Aunt Essie sitting in the lounge, stitching together a new patchwork quilt ad watching some talk show on TV. Her aunt made beautiful quilts as well as cooked amazing food.

Aunt Essie looked up from her sewing and told Sofia that there was a fresh pot of coffee ready in the kitchen waiting for her, along with another slice of strawberry tart if she wanted it.

Sofia said she'd take both out onto the porch as it was such a nice night.

The tart was good and it was just as the label described – tart. She ate it, all the while feeling guilty. She shouldn't keep eating so much – she still hadn't lost the extra weight she'd put on from having Amber.

Picking up the coffee, she wrapped her hands around the warming liquid and let her mind wander to more princely subjects.

Sofia would only admit to herself that she'd already found her prince – he just didn't know she existed. And who could blame him. She wasn't exactly model-material and everything about him suggested he went for the more porny-looking type of woman. Blonde, tall, slim and sexy. Not short, rather dumpy brunettes.

Ever since he'd arrived in town and taken over the run-down garage, she she'd offered to do his accounts for him, she'd taken on more and more hours working there just to be near him – Dominic Turetto.

Sofia knew which nights he ate out, which nights he spent in the local bar. And she made sure she was always there, hoping to catch a glimpse of him. She was beginning to feel a bit like a stalker – ok, a _lot_ like a stalker.

Sofia sat and sipped her cooling coffee, wondering what Dom would be doing right now. It wasn't that she wanted him to be lonely…no, it was just that she wanted him to be with her.

Tonight was the one night he didn't go out and she often wondered what he did when he stayed home. She would never have believed for one minute that he'd be sat wondering what she was doing.

Draining her coffee, she set the mug down on the empty plate and sighed, pushing the loose tendrils of hair behind her ears.

After taking the crockery back into the kitchen, she peeked in on her aunt. "I think I'm gonna take a walk along the beach. Will you keep an ear out for Amber, please Aunt Essie? Do you mind?"

Her aunt looked up and smiled. Her sewing rested on her lap. "Of course I don't mind, sweetie. Enjoy your walk and don't forget to take a sweater or something in case it drops cooler later."

Aunt Essie secretly hoped Sofia would bump into that nice young mechanic on her beach walk. If they didn't get together by themselves soon, she was going to have to call 'the girls' together for a matchmaking scheme.

Sofia strolled aimlessly down the beach, not heading anywhere in particular but still she found herself heading in the direction of Dom's home and garage.

The beach was quiet at this time of night, except for the constant gentle lapping of the waves against the sand. It was like a song inside her head and she found herself humming an old lullaby from her childhood. Self-consciously, she looked around her only to realize she was standing directly in front of Dom's place.

The garage downstairs was in total darkness but lights were on in the apartment above. She was too far away to see anything but she couldn't help but wonder what he was doing inside there, all by himself. Although earlier, she had considered he might have found himself a blonde for the night, she knew he would be alone. He was a notorious loner who'd never looked twice at the majority of young women who went after him.

She imagined he must be very lonely – maybe even more so than she was because at least she had family living with her. He appeared to have no one else.

Sofia made the decision that tomorrow, at work, she would invite him over for a real home cooked meal. 'Hmmmm,' she thought. 'Amber and Aunt Essie could always go out for dinner…or I could ask him to a restaurant…' She laughed at herself. It was so easy to be brave all alone, in the dark. Of course, she'd never ask him out but it didn't hurt to dream.

Turning, she started to walk back in the direction of home. She was glad for the cover of darkness in case she met anyone she knew and they saw the deep blush that she knew she wore as her mind wandered over Dom's naked body in her thoughts. Wrapping her arms around herself, she giggled aloud at her imaginations…and found herself almost skipping across the sand.

Letting herself in the front door and carefully locking it behind her, Sofia smiled to herself, careful to leave her lustful desires on the other side of the door lest her Aunt Essie saw what was on her mind.

As she walked through the house, there was no sign of her aunt, and Sofia guessed that she must have gone to bed.

Wandering through to the kitchen, Sofia got an ice-cold coke from the fridge and sat down at the table. After unscrewing the lid and taking a sip, she thought how much better it would taste with a drop of tequila.

Dom got out of the shower, dried off and quickly pulled on a pair of jockey shorts. He padded bare foot through to the kitchen and got a cold beer from the fridge, popping the cap. Leaning against the work surface, he drained the cool contents quickly.

In the intense heat, his body was already misted with a fine sheen of fresh sweat, but he didn't mind. He loved the heat.

Sofia finished her coke and stood the bottle in the sink to be rinsed out in the morning. She checked all the doors and windows, and then switched off the lights before trudging wearily up to bed.

As she peeked in on Amber, she smiled inside. Amber was the one thing she had managed to get right in her life.

Closing Amber's door, Sofia's opened the one next door that led to her own room. Leaving the light off, she quickly changed into the shorts and vest top she wore to sleep in. Crawling under the covers, she lay for a while, trying to decide what to wear the following day. She wanted to look her best – even if Dom didn't notice her in _that_ way.

Dom dragged his ass to bed. He flopped down on top of the covers with his head nestled snugly in his soft pillow. He had one hand under his head and the other over his stomach. His mind wandered freely over Sofia's black lacy underwear.

That's what he imagined she wore under the prim and proper clothes she came to work in. It was at that moment, he realized he was a little eager at the prospect of seeing her again tomorrow.

Sofia lay curled up on her side and closed her eyes. Visions of Dom's naked, muscled body filled her mind. She hoped she'd have one of her 'special' dreams tonight, oh God, she hoped…

Dom closed his eyes against the darkness. The last thing he heard was the swish of the curtain in the night breeze that had finally arrived to cool down the heat of the day. He soon slipped into a deep, dreamless sleep…


End file.
